The Melbourne Cricket Ground is under the spotlight, as it prepares to host the Boxing Day cricket test between New Zealand and Australia.
Play was suspended at the MCG on Saturday, with two deliveries remaining in the 40th over of a Marsh Sheffield Shield match between Western Australia and Victoria.
Umpires Phillip Gillespie and Geoff Joshua asked groundstaff to roll the pitch in the interests of player safety, but after a subsequent inspection, play was abandoned for the rest of day one.
With less than three weeks to go until the test match, it's unlikely to affect the match. Cricket Australia head of cricket operations Peter Roach said the wicket used for this Marsh Sheffield Shield match is a different strip to the one being prepared for the Boxing Day test.
"We're very disappointed at today's play being abandoned in the Marsh Sheffield Shield match between Victoria and Western Australia," Roach said. "The safety of our players is always our highest priority.
"The decision to suspend play and roll the wicket in an effort to address the variable bounce was the correct one, and I applaud umpires Gillespie and Joshua for the decisive action taken."
